Conservation International Switches from Oracle to Agresso

UNIT4 is known for providing its software applications to a wide range of not-for-profit and non-governmental organizations, and a signed contract with one of the largest US-based environmental organization is another step in this direction.

Being a global organization, Conservation International required a system capable of supporting all the nuances involved in operating a non-profit organization of that scale, including grant tracking and donor reporting, functionality that is unique to charity organizations. Interestingly, its existing software isn't exactly a newcomer to the market—Oracle E-Business Suite. So it is twice intriguing to wonder what prompted the organization to change its Tier 1 system.

According to UNIT4's press release, there were a few serious reasons for replacing the existing software with Agresso Business World ERP. First, Agresso's architectural design easily and comparatively quickly accommodates the various types of changes that the organization faces on a regular basis. That specific approach—Business Living In Change (BLINC)—is common to all of UNIT4's offerings. Second, Agresso supports important functionality—grant tracking and donor reporting—that was obviously missing from Oracle's software. Third, Agresso has flexible and customizable workflow management capabilities. And, finally, Agresso has a more user-friendly interface and easier maintenance. I would assume that system's total cost was also a consideration. Multi-currency and multi-language support was also mentioned as a comparative advantage, but Oracle's product also has these capabilities.

This contract seems to be a significant milestone for UNIT4 and its Agresso product. Its focus on agility should bear substantial fruit for the vendor.